When my old pal Gilbert Sandler passed away four years ago at the ripe young age of 95, several people asked me who would pick up the mantle from this masterful local historian/author/radio personality/storyteller?
After all, someone needed to tell the stories of a community as engaging and rich with history and characters as Jewish Baltimore. A few kind souls even suggested I could be “the next Gil Sandler.” I genuinely appreciated the high compliment but straightened them out right away.
I knew neither I nor anyone else could ever fill Gilbert’s shoes (or trademark pork pie hat). His knowledge base, style and voice were simply unique.
“There is no ‘next Gilbert Sandler,’” I said. “Some people cannot be replaced.”
I recently shared this anecdote with someone I’d suggest is cut from the same irreplaceable cloth. For many of us, Janet B. Kurland is a familiar and trusted face in the community who’s always been there during times of crisis and uncertainty.
But she’s also a lesson in the power of kindness, perseverance and gratitude.
A Baltimore native and longtime resident, Janet — who recently turned 92 — retired from Jewish Community Services in 2018 after a stellar 42-year career of helping seniors and their families.
Janet’s been there for many of us during highly challenging and painful times while we wrestle with how to find the best solutions for elderly loved ones. She’s always been a model of professionalism, grace and compassion, whether on or off the clock.
I still remember several instances when I called Janet for tips on how to help an aging family member. Her advice was always sound and reassuring, while directed in a way to treat the loved one with the highest degree of care and dignity.
Even before she became a senior herself, Janet possessed an empathy for the aged that made her uniquely qualified to serve this important segment of our community. The charge from Leviticus 19:32 — “You shall rise before the gray-headed and honor the old” — was never lost on her.
Still, even today, Janet remains young at heart and sharp as a tack. While visiting her recently at Springwell Senior Living Community in Mount Washington, she spoke repeatedly of all the blessings in her life, including her family, friends, former JCS colleagues and the Springwell staff.
She didn’t lament her aches and pains, the challenges of aging or the loss of her beloved husband, Shabse, nine years ago. Being Janet, she focused on the positive and what she could control in her life.
For a perennial, unrepentant kvetch like myself, that’s a remarkable feat.
In a 2021 column for Jmore’s annual “Aging Gratefully” issue, Janet wrote, “Happiness has to come from within a person. … Yes, growing older has its challenges. But so does every stage of life.”
Allow me to shamelessly divulge one more thing about Janet. She’s unquestionably Jmore’s number one supporter. With every issue of our magazine, Janet always sends me an email praising the content and range of the articles. She’s even been known to distribute copies of Jmore around the Springwell community.
In an era when the media is often slighted or maligned (albeit occasionally for justified reasons), Janet’s notes are a tremendous shot in the arm to our staff.
May God always bless you, Janet. You’re truly one of a kind.
Sincerely,
Alan Feiler, Editor-in-Chief
Happiness, goodness and contentment are all part of aging gratefully, writes Janet Kurland, who retired from Jewish Community Services in 2018 after a 42-year career there working primarily with seniors.